GET INVOLVED - BE A VOLUNTEER

Get Saheli Brochure
Being a volunteer member of Saheli enriches your life immeasurably and offers many rewards. You get a chance to share your time, expertise and resources with someone who really benefits. You help new immigrant women struggling with language, literacy and lack of skills to get a good start in life by giving them something of real value – your time and support. You develop wonderful friendships with like-minded women; you meet interesting people whom you may not have a chance to know. A few hours of your time each month makes a difference in someone’s life. And, best of all you get support when you need it too!

Saheli leader Rita Shah works in the domestic violence program.

Receive information about activities, projects and community events by becoming a member of Saheli and filling out our volunteer form.

Contribute your professional or personal expertise to the community by contacting a Saheli member and asking how to offer your expertise to the group. See the About Saheli page for leaders of programs. Send mail to sahelihelp@gmail.com.

  • Donate your time to Saheli by helping organize fundraisers, dinners, and community events
  • Become a volunteer teacher in one of our literacy programs
  • Attend our monthly meetings and explore opportunities to become a program leader
  • Donate to the Saheli Domestic Violence Fund which helps women obtain legal and family financial assistance in situations of domestic violence
  • Join us when we attend community events organized by other non-profit groups, we are very involved in our communities.

How are Sahelis involved

Saheli, Friendship for South Asian Women works with groups that share a common vision for a safe and just society where people live with mutual trust and respect. We work actively in many communities to bring attention to issues of racism, social and economic marginalization. We act as spokespersons for women and children victimized by social and political institutions based on race and gender. Sahelis regularly participate in community events organized by other groups and in 2003 participated in the following events:

  • War on Terrorism or Assault on Human Rights, UMass Boston Human Rights group and the College of Public and Community Service, May 3, 2003.
  • South Asian Men’s Collective of Harvard University Charity Cricket Tournament – funds donated to the Domestic Violence Program of Saheli
    Mac Quad, Harvard University, May 10, 2003
  • Uniting for Social Change: Celebrating Haymarket, Haymarket People’s Fund, Vietnamese American Community Center, Dorchester, May 30, 2003.
  • In Our Own Voices, Addressing Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities, organized by Jane Doe, Inc. Northeastern University, June 3, 2003.


BE A LITERACY TEACHER

Donate generously to our English language and computer literacy classes working directly with people in the communities of Cambridge, Burlington and Billerica. Assist new immigrants to get settled with English language conversation, computer skills and
job search skills.

Volunteers needed to teach Computer Literacy Classes
Location: Cambridge Public Library Central Square, 2 hours each week Thursdays 6-8 pm. Commitment to two classes (4 hours) required. Curriculum and teachers aide provided. Excellent classroom 13 PC’s and projection screen. Dedicated, organized and reliable volunteers of any nationality contact sahelihelp@gmail.com

Volunteers Needed To Teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Location: Burlington and Billerica New classes starting
Place and time will be announced soon. Curriculum and teachers aide provided. Dedicated, organized and reliable volunteers of any nationality to teach simple English conversation and vocabulary. Contact sahelihelp@gmail.com or
Call 1-866-4SAHELI (1-866-472-4354).
Commitment to two classes (4 hours) required.

More volunteers needed – just a few hours each month

  • Volunteers are needed to help with community outreach, attend events in your community as a
  • Saheli volunteer, distribute our literature
  • Volunteers needed to help women who are housebound, cook a meal or give a ride to women in the domestic violence program.
  • Volunteers are needed with skills in grant writing.
  • Volunteers needed to run a support group for women.
  • Volunteers needed to organize social events and fundraiser in communities
  • Volunteers needed to write short articles in newspapers and on the web.

Call 1-866-4SAHELI (1-866-472-4354)

Return to top of page



MAKE A DONATION TO SAHELI

A donation to Saheli will help support our literacy, provide assistance to a survivor of domestic violence, allow them to start the legal processes to gain economic mobility and gain independence. Your donations are tax deductible. Saheli has no overhead expenses, all members are volunteers, and your donation goes directly to help someone going through a hard time. Please see our Wish List.
Call 1-866-4SAHELI (1-866-472-4354)


Return to top of page



DONATE-A-CELL PHONE

Launched in October (National Domestic Violence Month) 2003, Donate A Cell Phone program collects cell phones (new or used) for survivors of domestic violence. Modeled on a similar program by Jane Doe Inc., in collaboration with The Wireless Foundation in Washington DC, these phones are refurbished and distributed to women.

Phones are tax deductible and very valuable to women in emergency situations.

In April 2008, Saheli launched a partnership with Verizon Wireless HopeLine program. Saheli will receive re-furbished cell phones with pre-paid air time and 911 access, in exchange for donated cell phones twice each year.

Drop off your used cell phones and chargers at your local Verizon store anywhere in Massachusetts.

Or you can bring your cell phones to a Saheli or IAGB event or contact Kumu Gupta at SaheliHelp@gmail.com to donate your cell phone
Call 1-866-4SAHELI (1-866-472-4354)

Return to top of page




BE AN INTERN AT SAHELI

Saheli is accepting applications for interns. Internships last one semester and there are internship possibilities in teaching computer literacy and ESL classes, supporting the domestic violence program, and in coordinating outreach, publicity, media and fund raising events for the organization.

Saheli works with diverse community organizations, libraries, student clubs, and Asian groups. Most of our interns work with a specific program leader. We attend events organized by many community groups and interns are required to attend some of these events. Depending on needs we create internships which vary from year to year. You will be required to work 10-12 hours each week to obtain course credits. Most interns are volunteers, but on occasion we offer stipends. We encourage interested students to inquire about internship opportunities at Saheli. Based on the requirements of your school, Saheli can offer course credit for your work.

If you are interested in an internship at Saheli contact Seema Shenoy at sahelihelp@gmail.com. Past interns have expressed great satisfaction with the experience and continue to be volunteers in the organization.

Call 1-866-4SAHELI (1-866-472-4354)

Please submit a resume and a cover letter stating what kind of an internship you are looking for specifically, when you are available, and what your college requirements are.

Internship for Fall  2011

A